Tag: apple

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Early 16-inch MacBook Pro complaints include speaker ‘popping’ and display ghosting

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro finally righted Apple’s keyboard debacle, and it’s a beast of a machine in terms of performance. But early buyers have still managed to uncover some bugs with the latest MacBook Pro — and one hardware characteristic that might put off some people. 

As noted by AppleInsider (and backed by this long MacRumors forum thread), owners of the 16-inch MacBook Pro are complaining about an intermittent “popping” sound coming from the speakers. It’s noticeable after audio playback is stopped. From AppleInsider:

If you get the problem, what happens is that when you’re playing any audio or video, when you stop it, skip to another part, or close the window, you get this sound. It’s similar to the clipping you can get when audio peaks too high, or when speakers are abruptly switched off and on.

Here’s a video demonstration of the issue:

Definitely the kind of thing that would grate on you over time from a $2,400 laptop. Apple’s support team has responded to some people by telling them that the company is aware of the issue and at work on a fix. 

Other customers are less than pleased about an apparent slow response time from the 16-inch MacBook Pro’s wide-color display, which can result in a “ghosting” effect when scrolling text. That, too, has earned a multipage thread at MacRumors, though there are also people who are unbothered by the display’s scrolling performance or don’t seem to notice it in regular use of the laptop. And if you mostly use your machine with it hooked into an external monitor, this perceived fault might not matter to you. 

But those upgrading from a 2014 or 2015 15-inch MacBook Pro — the crowd that steered clear of the butterfly keyboard, in other words — claim their previous displays didn’t exhibit this problem (at least not to the same degree). Some are going as far as to return the device over this situation. Apple is rumored to be working on Mini-LED MacBook Pros and iPad Pros for release in 2020, so the 16-inch MacBook Pro panels might be the last of their kind in Apple laptops — at least in the pro lineup. 

As someone who has used 13-inch MacBook Pros over the last few years, I’ve noticed some text and icon trailing at times, but haven’t really ever thought of it as as problem. In a world of 90Hz phones, 120Hz iPads, and even smoother gaming monitors, is this just a situation where the MacBook’s 60Hz refresh rate is sticking out? 

The speaker quirk does seem a bit more prominent, however. Just remember that Apple’s holiday return policy is now in effect, so you’ve got until early January to keep using your MacBook Pro and see if Apple resolves the popping sound with a macOS software release or firmware update. 

The Verge has reached out to Apple about both of these concerns. I’ll update this article should the company offer comment.

Source: The Verge

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Apple announces best app store apps and games following private event in New York

Apps of the year

Apple today announced its selection of best apps and games for 2019 after inviting developers and members of the press to a related special event in New York. The company follows the tradition of choosing apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV that stood out this year.

This year, Spectre Camera from Lux Optics was named the best iPhone app. Spectre Camera was developed by the creators of the popular Halide camera app. It uses AI technology to capture professional photos with long exposure in a fast and straightforward way.

For the iPad, first place went to the Flow app created by Moleskine. It’s an advanced drawing tool that offers various types of brushes for users to take notes or even make incredible drawings. Flow has customizable gestures and unique combinations of strokes and colors.

The best Mac app of 2019 chosen by Apple is Affinity Publisher from Serif Labs. Professionals know the company well for its advanced apps for image editing and illustration. With Affinity Publisher, they’ve introduced a new way to create amazing layouts for books, newspapers, magazines, posters, and more.

Apple also nominated The Explorers as the best 2019 app for Apple TV. The app is a fully collaborative digital catalog of nature’s images. Photographers or videographers can join the community to submit their work. All content can be admired by anyone on their iPhone, iPad, and even Apple TV.

Games of the year

Games are also an essential part of the App Store, and so they have their own category in the awards. Sky: Children of the Light, developed by thatgamecompany, is the best game of 2019 for iPhone. The journey game was featured at an Apple event as part of the Apple TV 4K demonstrations due to its amazing graphics.

Hyper Light Drifter from Abylight is the best 2019 game for iPad, according to Apple. The action-adventure RPG game has been awarded several times for its unique visual arts.

Among the games available on the Mac App Store, GRIS from Devolver won first place this year. The story of the game involves the journey of a girl lost in her own world, with a vast universe of puzzles created with detailed art.

For Apple TV, the best game of 2019 is Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap, created by DotEmu. It’s a remake of the original game created in 1989 in which the main character, a half-human, half-lizard, faces a series of challenges in different scenarios. The graphics were made with bright colors that make the battles more intense.

Apple also chose the best game available on Apple Arcade, the company’s new subscription gaming platform. Sayonara Wild Hearts was the 2019 choice. Created by Annapurna Interactive, each level of the game takes place in a music clip in which the main character must run and face obstacles on the way to the end with a stunning soundtrack.

Trends of the year

In addition to the best apps and games of the year, Apple also made a list of others who did not win first place, but also made their mark on the iOS App Store.

The first list, “The Storyteller Within,” features apps that helped users tell stories, whether through text, photos, videos, podcasts, or drawings. Check out the apps below:

The “Blockbusters Reborn” list is made up of famous franchise games that were released for iOS. Check it out:

You can check out the full list of the best 2019 apps here.

What did you think of the list? Did you know all the apps? Share your opinion with us in the comments below.

Source: The Verge

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Apple’s Radical New iPhone Suddenly Takes Shape

Apple played safe with its (intelligently upgraded) iPhone 11 series and the result is a rock solid range which gets the basics right. But they don’t quicken pulse rates like what is coming next. 

Following a series of leaks (1,2,3,4,5), we know a lot about Apple’s plans to launch a radically redesigned 2020 iPhone and now expert render artists at PhoneArea have put them all together for the first time. 

The big takeaways are Apple’s repeatedly leaked plans to return the so-called iPhone 12 to a boxier design akin to the iPhone 4, as well as shrinking the notch. Apple is also adding an additional Time Of Flight (ToF) camera (like most rivals) with Bloomberg detailing the inclusion of long-range 3D capabilitiesto the primary camera to enable the mapping of surroundings up to 15 feet away. A feature designed to boost augmented reality apps. 

Flaws? I understand that there won’t be a fourth camera because a ToF sensor is tiny and 3D will come to the primary lens, so the existing triple array will appear largely unchanged. That said, PhoneArena does a superb job of illustrating the broad brushstrokes of what we can expect. 

Source: Forbes

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Exclusive: 16-inch MacBook Pro Touch Bar and Touch ID layout confirmed

Rumors about a new 16-inch MacBook Pro are not exactly new, with recent icon evidence found in macOS Catalina betas suggesting the redesign mentioned in some reports is not going to happen as we thought.

Today, an image found in the release version of macOS 10.15.1 reveals another look at the new device, showing that one of its new features will be a power / Touch ID key separated from the screen of the Touch Bar. This confirms earlier reports that also mentioned the new machine having a real escape key instead of the software one of the current models.

The previous icon that was found last week has been removed from the release build of macOS Catalina 10.15.1, which could suggest the release date is not in October as some rumors were suggesting. Regardless, it’s very clear from the recent leaks from Apple that the machine won’t be a significant redesign as many were hoping for.

Source: 9to5mac

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Apple announces AirPods Pro with noise cancellation, coming October 30th

Apple has just launched the rumored noise-canceling AirPods Pro — not with an October product event, but via a press release. The premium earbuds are set for release on October 30th for $249. They’re up for preorder starting today. And yes, they still only come in white.

Apple has built microphones into the AirPods Pro that detect external sound, and the earbuds then cancel it out. The system used here sounds very similar to the noise cancellation in the new Beats Solo Pro headphones, just miniaturized to a much smaller form factor. Apple says noise cancellation is adjusted up to 200 times per second.

The AirPods Pro feature a transparency mode that will let you hear your surroundings while wearing them. The earbuds have a “force sensor” that you can use to control music playback and activate transparency mode.

The company is promising fantastic audio quality from the AirPods Pro for that $249 price. They have a feature called “Adaptive EQ” that “automatically tunes music to the shape of your ear.”

Unlike the current AirPods, these will come with flexible ear tips for a more secure, sealed in-ear fit. Three sizes of silicone tips are included in the box. Apple even says there’s a software audio test that can tell you if you’ve chosen the right-sized tip by “measuring the sound level in the ear and comparing it to what is coming from the speaker driver.” This should reduce any guesswork or confusion for customers.

Like the second-gen AirPods, the AirPods Pro support wireless charging and hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands. Apple says they get around 4.5 hours of continuous listening battery life. (You can see that the active noise cancellation takes a bit of a toll there.) But as usual with AirPods, the case has enough extra battery for around 24 hours of total listening time, including those recharges.

The AirPods Pro are sweat and water resistant — get ready to start seeing these in gyms everywhere — and they include “an expanded mesh microphone port that improves call clarity in windy situations.”

They still charge via the Lightning connector, but they now come with a Lightning to USB-C cable in the box.

Apple’s new AirPods come just as noise cancellation — long a convenience offered by over-ear headphones from Bose, Sony, and others — has begun making its way to truly wireless earbuds. Sony’s noise-canceling 1000X M3 earbuds cost $229. And Amazon’s Echo Buds, with Bose noise reduction (not full-on cancellation) technology, are about to hit shelves for $129.99. AirPods have seen a meteoric rise in popularity since they were first released, so it’s safe to assume that Apple is about to have another smash hit on its hands.

Source: The Verge

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Apple reschedules iOS 13.1 and iPadOS releases for September 24th

Apple has barely released iOS 13, but you might be getting another significant revision mere days later. The companyhas told Engadget it’s moving the releases of iPadOS and iOS 13.1 to September 24th, or nearly a week before the originally scheduled September 30th debut. While there’s no mention of just why Apple is stepping up the pace, it might be due to software stability. Some iPhone 11 reviewers (including Engadget) have noticed buggy behavior in iOS 13.0, and this could iron out the kinks before there’s been too much opportunity to complain.

You will get some new features in return. iPadOS, as you may know, is a major shake-up that introduces more iPad-specific features, such as better multitasking and a widget view on the home screen. The iOS 13.1 update mainly adds features that didn’t make the cut for 13.0, including ETA sharing in Maps, automated Siri Shortcut actions and data separation for enterprise devices. This definitely isn’t a seamless release, then, but you at least shouldn’t have to wait long to see new features and a smoother overall experience.

Source: Engaged

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Apple’s new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro cameras: what they do

Apple has officially announced its latest iPhones and confirmed that, yes, there’s a huge, squircle-shaped camera bump on the back of each of these new phones. On the flagship iPhone Pro models, it contains three separate cameras, and on the iPhone 11, there are two.

Each camera has its own purpose, and you’ll want to use them for different photo scenarios.

IPHONE 11

  1. 12MP regular camera | 26mm f/1.8 | Optical image stabilization: The standard iPhone camera has been upgraded with a new Night mode that should be able to better compete with Night Sight on Google’s Pixel smartphones in terms of low-light performance. Apple has also improved image processing to preserve more highlights and details in each shot.
  2. 12MP ultra-wide camera | 13mm f/2.4 | 120-degree field of view: Instead of following its own tradition with a portrait lens, Apple made the somewhat surprising decision to go with an ultra-wide camera that will allow iPhone 11 owners to capture more of their surroundings in every photo. The camera app’s viewfinder will show you both what the main camera sees and a preview of what would be in the ultra-wide shot.

Front camera: 12MP TrueDepth camera with slo-mo video and 4K60 recording: Apple’s selfie camera can now capture wider-angle shots when rotated to landscape. The company is also adding slow-motion video recording.

IPHONE PRO AND PRO MAX

  1. 12MP regular camera | 26mm f/1.8 | Optical image stabilization
  2. 12MP ultra-wide camera | 13mm f/2.4 | 120-degree field of view
  3. 12MP telephoto / portrait lens | 52mm f/2.0 | Optical image stabilization: Apple’s latest camera designed for portrait photos is exclusive to the iPhone 11 Pro models.

Front camera: 12MP TrueDepth camera with slo-mo video and 4K60 recording

NEW SOFTWARE TRICKS

Apple says it has made significant improvements to photo and video processing with the latest iPhone cameras. The iPhone 11 and 11 Pro preserve highlights and more detail in each still shot, and they’ve been optimized for low-light settings with the help of a new Night mode.

With all new iPhone models now having multiple cameras, Apple has taken effort to prevent shifts in exposure and color tone when changing between them — especially when recording video. The iPhone 11 Pro will let app developers record with more than one camera simultaneously for more creative possibilities. And an audio zoom feature will hone in on whatever sound is coming from the subject you’re pointing the cameras at.

Specifically for the iPhone 11 Pro, Phil Schiller previewed an upcoming Deep Fusion feature that analyzes 9 photos (including one long-exposure shot) taken in sequence. The device’s neural engine then analyzes the collection to create an optimal end photo that borrows the best elements of each image. Schiller said it was “computational photography mad science.” Deep Fusion is coming in the fall.

RELATED

The 5 biggest announcements from Apple’s September 2019 event

Apple moved to a dual-camera system starting with the iPhone 7 Plus, adding a telephoto / portrait lens with a closer perspective to complement the standard-angle camera. The portrait lens remained exclusive to Plus models until the iPhone X in 2017. Since then, the X, XS, and XS Max have all featured two cameras. The iPhone XR stuck with just one.

Source: The Verge

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Apple Watch 5 may have been revealed thanks to a leaked photograph

The Apple Watch 5 is likely to land in September and yet, unlike the iPhone 11 – which has leaked extensively – we haven’t seen much of it yet. But that might be starting to change, as a leaked photo may have given us our first real look at the wearable.

Uploaded on a currently private Instagram account and shared by SlashLeaks, the image shows a close-up of the screen of an Apple Watch, complete with information on the software and model, and it’s this that makes us think it might be the Apple Watch 5.

That’s because not only is it apparently running the not-yet-released watchOS 6, but, more importantly, it has the model number A2157, which isn’t attached to any current Apple Watch.

It is however a model number that was recently filed with the Eurasian Economic Commission, as spotted by MacRumors. Being filed there suggests that it’s a real model and coming soon, so this photo could be the real deal.

Looks familiar

Having said that, the image could easily have been altered, and if it is real it doesn’t give away much, as what we can see of the design looks a lot like the Apple Watch 4.

That’s not totally surprising though, as Apple changed up the look a bit for that model, so likely wouldn’t be making any major physical changes again this year.

Indeed, rumors so far point to the possibility of new ceramic and titanium casings, but are otherwise focused on software and less visible features, such as sleep tracking and a microLED display. So even if this image is fake, it might be close to how the Apple Watch 5 will look.

We should find out for sure soon, as the new wearable is likely to be announced alongside the iPhone 11 range, which is currently rumored to land on September 10.

Via Wareable

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Trump says Tim Cook made ‘good case’ that trade war helps Samsung over Apple

President Donald Trump says Apple CEO Tim Cook “made a very compelling argument” that tariffs on China will hamper Apple’s ability to compete with Samsung. The pair had dinner on Friday night at the president’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and Trump described the conversation to reporters from publications including Bloomberg, CNBC, and Fox News on the way back to Washington.

“I had a very good meeting with Tim Cook,” Trump said. “I have a lot of respect for Tim Cook, and Tim was talking to me about tariffs. And one of the things, and he made a good case, is that Samsung is their number-one competitor, and Samsung is not paying tariffs because they’re based in South Korea.”

“And it’s tough for Apple to pay tariffs if they’re competing with a very good company that’s not. I said, ‘How good a competitor?’ He said they are a very good competitor. So Samsung is not paying tariffs because they’re based in a different location, mostly South Korea but they’re based in South Korea. And I thought he made a very compelling argument, so I’m thinking about it.”

Most of Apple’s products are assembled in China and will be subject to an additional 10 percent import tax later this year. This is due to go into effect on September 1st for products like the Apple Watch and AirPods, though the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook lineup won’t be hit until December 15th after a delay to accommodate the holiday shopping season.

Samsung has a more diversified supply chain, with much of its manufacturing located in South Korea and Vietnam. As such, the company won’t be hit as hard by the Trump administration’s ongoing trade war with China. Apple is said to be looking at moving more of its manufacturing elsewhere.

Trump gave advance word of the dinner with Cook on Twitter Friday evening, saying Apple “will be spending vast sums of money in the US. Great!” though he doesn’t appear to have mentioned any details of further US investment in his comments to reporters.